After a little over a month of testing in Canada, Disney+ has finally launched the GroupWatch feature in the U.S. The new feature lets Disney+ subscribers invite up to six friends and family members to synchronously stream a movie or series together, from wherever they happen to be.
GroupWatch does not have a text chat feature, which according to Disney, was designed to keep viewers from being distracted from the main viewing content being streamed. The feature does let viewers share their reactions with six different emojis: “like,” “funny,” “sad,” “angry,” “scared” and “surprised” through the Disney+ app.
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GroupWatch is designed to boost the overall usage of the service. It also has the potential to attract new subscribers, as all participants must have a Disney+ account: A friend’s GroupWatch invite for, something like The Mandalorian Season 2 (premiering October 30) could lead to new signups or, even more lucrative for Disney, one for Mulan at $30 per account for early-access viewing.
If a film goes to Premier Access, like the live-action adaptation of Mulan, or possibly Pixar’s Soul in November, all members of the GroupWatch must purchase the film, so no splitting the cost.
Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. As part of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, Disney+ is available on most internet-connected devices and offers commercial-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content. Alongside unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment, the service is also the exclusive streaming home for the latest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as part of a bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+. Visit DisneyPlus.com to subscribe and/or learn more about the service.
